1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to housings for electronic devices, particularly to a housing having a decorative pattern and a method of making the housing.
2. Description of Related Art
Molded plastic housings for electronic devices are usually processed by surface treatment to acquire decorative surfaces. In-Mold Labeling (IML) process is a typical method to produce such decorative plastic articles. The process is carried out by molding a plastic substrate to combination with a plastic film in a mold. Prior to the substrate being molded, a pattern is printed on the film. The molded substrate is then combined with the patterned film. The pattern may not be abraded or eroded because it is located between the film and the substrate. However, during the process of molding the substrate, the film is prone to melt because of the high temperature of the molten plastic injected into the mold. If the film melts, it is likely that the pattern printed on the film will become distorted. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve a three-dimensional decorative pattern only by printing.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.